Seeds of Righteousness

Isaiah 30:23 “Then He will give the rain for your seed with which you sow the ground, and bread of the increase of the earth; It will be fat and plentiful. In that day your cattle will feed in large pastures.”

The Lord is turning over the soil and sowing seeds of righteousness. These seeds of righteousness are exposing secret sins that were allowed to remain hidden for a season, but that time is coming to a close. Those who have not found a place of true repentance, God is bringing into the light. This is why many fallen leaders have been exposed in the last few years.

God was silent for a season, giving space for leaders to repent and find mercy. However, because of His great love, He will not allow any of us to remain in a place of sin. It is a work of His grace to expose us to the light, regardless how humiliating it may be for the moment. His concern is our future destination, not our present discomfort. 

God loves each of us and His church too much to allow things to remain hidden. These things must be extracted from our hearts if the church is to be prepared for the season of blessing God wants to send upon us.

If God has His finger on hidden sin in your heart, take it to Him so He may deal with you in private before He must deal with you in public. Allow the Holy Spirit to move through you. 

Psalm 139:23, 24 “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

Break Up Your Fallow Ground

Hosea 10:12 “Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the Lord, till He comes and rains righteousness on you.”

I believe the church in general is in a season of transition. The prophet spoke these words recorded in

Joel 2:23, 24:

“Be glad then, you children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God; for He has given you the former rain faithfully, and He will cause the rain to come down for you-the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month. The threshing floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil.”

God is presently at work breaking up your fallow ground. 

Fallow ground is land that was at one time plowed open, but has lain dormant for a season and has since hardened. This is a natural part of the process of letting the ground rest through the winter season. However, when the farmer discerns that spring is on the way, he sets out once again to work the fallow ground with a plow, turning over the soil, breaking and preparing it to receive fresh seed to produce a harvest.

The Lord is placing His hands into the soil of our lives and the life of the church to break up the fallow ground. Like a skilled farmer, He is tilling and turning the ground beneath our feet. This is the reason why we have faced so much turbulence in our lives because God wants us to recognize that we are in a state of transition.

That's why it is important to know where God has firmly planted you. That way you don’t mistake a transition in season to be a transition in position. Stay where the Lord has called you. Stay true to the last word you heard from God.

The barren season is coming to a close. Times of refreshing and new life are quickly approaching. God is about to visit His church in the coming days with an unprecedented outpouring of His Spirit for those willing to position themselves for it. I have spoken with many pastors who are saying they are personally feeling the draw to return to the prayer closet. Others are feeling it’s time to start making room for God to move in a new season. All of them are confirming there is a window opening in the heavens for revival so we cannot afford to miss the season.

Jesus charged the multitudes in Luke 12:54-56:

“Then He also said to the multitudes, “Whenever you see a cloud rising out of the west, immediately you say, ‘A shower is coming’; and so it is. And when you see the south wind blow, you say, ‘There will be hot weather’; and there is. Hypocrites! You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it you do not discern this time?”

The seasons are changing.  So what can you do to see the latter rains poured out?

-Discern the transition, and position yourself correctly in the midst of it. 

-Surrender to that inward pull to come back to place of private prayer, devotion and holiness.  

-Fall on your knees, and experience the clarity of His voice and the sweetness of His presence. 

-Position yourself to seek the Lord while He may be found. 

He is ready to visit His church, if we will open the door!

It’s Time to Be a Blessing

1 Samuel 30:26-31 “Now when David came to Ziklag, he sent some of the spoil to the elders of Judah, to his friends, saying, “Here is a present for you from the spoil of the enemies of the LORD”— to those who were in Bethel, those who were in Ramoth of the South, those who were in Jattir, those who were in Aroer, those who were in Siphmoth, those who were in Eshtemoa, those who were in Rachal, those who were in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, those who were in the cities of the Kenites, those who were in Hormah, those who were in Chorashan, those who were in Athach, those who were in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men were accustomed to rove.”

David knew that his time among the Philistines had strained his relationships with God’s people. Now he knows he must do whatever he can to put things right again, so he sent some of the spoil to the elders of Judah with an explanation of what happened. It pleased Judah’s elders that David’s battle with the Amalekites was the beginning of the end for the people of Amalek. History reveals that Amalek was not heard of again after this great victory in the wilderness. His people were the first to attack Israel after the escape from Egyptian bondage and now would trouble Judah no longer thanks to David being obedient to the promise of God and reclaiming what belonged to him.

(1) David showed how much he was blessed by blessing his friends. 

When he had given every one his own with interest there was considerably more of the spoils of the Amalekites left over. David, as the general in charge, had the right of disposal for the spoil of the tents and the herds of the Amalekites. The Bible instructs us that he thought it fit to make presents of the excess spoils to his friends, the elders of Judah. 

Several places are named in the scriptures to which he sent these spoils, but two stand out for different reasons:

-The first place named is Bethel or the House of El, which signifies the house of God. The first fruits of the spoil went there because it represented the place that God dwelled in. Therefore David sent the first and best, to those that attended there, for the sake of the One who is the first and best. 

-The second place is Hebron. Hebron in the proper sense means alliance. It is considered the second most holy city in Judaism and it was to that place David sent all that was left of the spoils. Following the death of King Saul, God instructed David to go to Hebron, where he was anointed King of Judah (II Samuel 2:1-4). A little more than 7.5 years later, David was anointed King over all Israel in Hebron (II Samuel 5:1-3). 

When the promise of God was fulfilled in David’s life he showed some elements of what a person who is blessed shows when God does something miraculous for them.

(2) David showed his true character by not being selfish, but in sharing his blessing from the Lord. 

His goal was not to enrich himself, but to share his blessing with his countrymen. Afterwards, God enriched him, and set him up to rule the country that he had so generously blessed. It becomes blessed people to be generous. If you hoard it up it will become worthless, but if you bless others with your gifts your personal blessings increase. 

James 3:14-16 "But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work."

(3) David expressed his gratitude by his giving. 

He sent presents to all the places where he and his men were known to have been. He expressed his gratitude to all that he had received kindness from, those that had sheltered him, and sent him intelligence or provisions. 

Gratitude obliges us to return the favors that have been done us, or at least to make a real acknowledgment of them as far as is in the power of our hand. David expressed his by being a blessing to those again who had shown him true fellowship and compassion.

Luke 6:38 NKJV “Give and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

(4) David showed his humility in sending out these blessings. 

He calls these presents what they are-a blessing from the spoils of the enemy of the Lord. In doing so David basically proved two things:

-When we give a blessing to our friends it shows them that our prayers have been answered and that in turn we are investing in them and praying for the same blessings in their lives. David did this again because he was thankful for their concern for him.

-David also sent it out of the spoil of the enemies of the Lord that they might rejoice in the victory for the Lord's sake, and might join with him in thanksgivings for it. 

Psalm 34:2 “My soul shall make its boast in the LORD; The humble shall hear of it and be glad.”

Matthew 6:3, 4 NKJV “But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.”

(5) David’s blessing set the stage for his destiny to be fulfilled. 

He knew this was the time that God and set up to fulfill the prophecy of Samuel of kingship of Israel. He was now ready to accept what God had promised him for his destiny as ruler over Israel. He was fit to be a king and showed it by expressing the bounty and liberality of a king by making these presents to those who had helped him in the past. 

James 4:10 “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.”

1 Peter 5:6, 7 “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”

2 Corinthians 9:6-8 “But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.  So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.”

What Really Matters Most

1 Samuel 30:21-25 “Now David came to the two hundred men who had been so weary that they could not follow David, whom they also had made to stay at the Brook Besor. So they went out to meet David and to meet the people who were with him. And when David came near the people, he greeted them. Then all the wicked and worthless men of those who went with David answered and said, “Because they did not go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil that we have recovered, except for every man’s wife and children, that they may lead them away and depart.” But David said, “My brethren, you shall not do so with what the LORD has given us, who has preserved us and delivered into our hand the troop that came against us. For who will heed you in this matter? But as his part is who goes down to the battle, so shall his part be who stays by the supplies; they shall share alike.” So it was, from that day forward; he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day.”

Sectarianism is bigotry, discrimination, prejudice or hatred arising from attaching importance to perceived differences between subdivisions within a group, such as between different denominations of a religion or the factions of a political movement. Jesus faced this even in His day when there were other believers doing the works of the Lord who were not known as disciples. Luke addresses this in his gospel:

Luke 9:49-51 NKJV “Now John answered and said, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us.” But Jesus said to him, “Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our side.”

Who would have thought that on the day of such victory that jealousy and bigotry would arise in David’s camp? It would seem that everyone would be rejoicing rather than trying to figure out who would come out ahead.

There were some spiteful men in the 400 that went with David to reclaim their families and possessions.

The Bible identifies them as wicked and worthless men. They thought they were right and justified in their thinking because they were in the battle and these men were not.

These men were allowing their ego to overtake their logic. They would allow those who stayed behind to reclaim their families, but they did not want them to share in the spoils of victory claimed from the Amalekites. They also wanted these individuals and their families to leave from their presence. Apparently these men who stayed behind were considered cowards by those who had gone on to fight the Amalekites and the returning heroes wanted nothing to do with them.

Please notice that this was not the majority of the 400, but a minority of the men who had gone with David to fight the Amalekites. However, it only takes a few to destroy a victory celebration and make it a contest of wills.

God never intended for us to develop spiritual bigotry or be divided by denominational walls. When the Church of God was started, we were known as a Holiness Movement, not a Holiness denomination. Speaking in tongues, miracles, and manifestations were not the central focus of our early church fathers establishing our organization. Their desire was to bring the reestablishment of true commitment to God, His Word, and the Great Commission. The latter being to “take the Gospel into all the World.” We believed then that God was no respecter of persons and that all could be saved as we still do today.

John 6:37 “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.”

Acts 10:34, 35 “Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, “Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.”

We taught that salvation is free to every person that hears the truth and receives it.

John 6:45 “It is written in the prophets, and they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.”

John 12:48 “He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.”

We also taught that salvation can only come through Jesus Christ our Lord.

John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”


We never taught that denomination could save you because our founding fathers saw the inner failings of churches that trusted in their creeds more than God and His Word. We still teach that there is one way to heaven and it goes through Jesus. We still believe that the preaching of the Word is what helps us to understand and know the way of salvation. We still believe that only Jesus can bring salvation into your heart.

There are two requirements to get to heaven. They are that you give your heart to Jesus Christ and live according to His Word. It's not membership, not denomination, not doctrine, not theology, or even personal conviction that can get you into heaven. It is only by allowing Jesus to have your heart and life and living by His Word that you can make it into glory.

“But David said, “My brethren, you shall not do so with what the LORD has given us, who has preserved us and delivered into our hand the troop that came against us. For who will heed you in this matter?” 

People that really get a relationship with Jesus desire to live holy.

Psalm 24:3-5 “Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

People that are really saved know where Jesus lives.                                    

John 14:23 “Jesus answered and said unto him, “If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.”

People that have that relationship with Jesus will obey His commandments. They know what the rules are because they study His Word.                                                                                                                           

1 John 2:5 “But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.”

Every part of the Kingdom work is important.

“But as his part is who goes down to the battle, so shall his part be who stays by the supplies; they shall share alike.” So it was, from that day forward; he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day.”

Ephesians 4:4-7 “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.” 

Verses 14-16 “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.” 

Matthew 20 tells the story of the householder who needed laborers for his vineyard.

-Early in the morning for a penny a day.

-The third hours for the same wage.

-The sixth hour for the same wage.

-The ninth hour for the same wage.

-The eleventh hour for the same wage.

Those who had labored the longest complained because those who came in later in the day received the same wage. The household owners reply was this:

Verse 13b-16 “Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.” 

Believing What God Promised He Would Do

1 Samuel 30:16-20 “And when he had brought him down, there they were, spread out over all the land, eating and drinking and dancing, because of all the great spoil which they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah. Then David attacked them from twilight until the evening of the next day. Not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men who rode on camels and fled. So David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away, and David rescued his two wives. And nothing of theirs was lacking, either small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything which they had taken from them; David recovered all. Then David took all the flocks and herds they had driven before those other livestock, and said, “This is David’s spoil.”

When we're living right in this life we pass on the experience by our witness to those who will receive it. They then experience a piece of what we've experienced in God and it is a life changing matter. We see this come to pass in the life of the Egyptian slave that was ministered to by David in the wilderness As a recipient of David's hospitality, the revived and grateful Egyptian told them where the Amalekites were. They had been on their way to a victory celebration when the Egyptian slave had fallen sick and been dumped. Knowing exactly where they had been headed, he guided David and his company to the place. 

It was now twilight and the party was in full swing. The Amalekites were dancing, drinking, and feasting on the bounty they had looted from Ziklag and other towns and villages in their latest piracy. They were far from the places they had pillaged and therefore hadn't set a guard. They were so focused on their spoils and celebration that they were easy targets for David and his men. Not only did they rout the Amalekites (only 400 young men escaped on camels), their recovery was absolute. Not a wife or a child was lost. Nothing that had been stolen from them was missing. Not only that, but they also had as spoils of victory the extensive Amalekite flocks of sheep and herds of cattle. David and his men returned with everything that had been stole and more in triumph. The so recently demoralized, grieving, and angry men were now ecstatic. 

What a turn-a-round for David. Just a few hours earlier his own men were ready to kill him, but now he was honored and acclaimed as they gave him all the credit, shouting out, "This is David's spoil!" Remember, when David made peace with God and got things right in that relationship again, he heard from the Lord. It is pure and simple fact that in spite of everything, what David heard from God he believed and never stopped believing until God fulfilled his promise. 

David believed in spite of the circumstances he had faced and was facing that God would fulfill His promise to him to restore what had been stolen. 

Psalm 13:3, 4 “Consider and hear me, O LORD my God; enlighten my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death; lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed against him”; lest those who trouble me rejoice when I am moved.”

David remembered that in spite of it all God was God. He remembered if God has promised something then he will bring it to pass. God still blesses us even when we are in the valley. In the midst of depression, failure, and challenges, God still moves if we believe Him to do so. God still blesses us even when the enemy is watching and seemingly predicts our every move. Yes, the enemy can see us, and might even be able to predict our behaviors, but he cannot stop us if we hold on to God’s promise. God still protects us on every side. The devil and hell cannot stop you from receiving what God has ordained for you if you'll walk on by faith and not by sight.

Psalm 13:5, 6 “But I have trusted in Your mercy; my heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, because He has dealt bountifully with me.”

These are some things we must believe today:

-We can never be so bound or defeated that the Holy Spirit can't lift our soul up with hope. The Holy Spirit can change our circumstances and bring us into God's presence. 

-We can never lose when Jesus writes the end of our story. Since Jesus is the first and last, whatever we're in must only be the middle. If He never changes as Hebrews 13:8 declares, then He’s greater than my circumstances.

-We can never fear because Jesus is closer and more powerful than we think. 

-We can never face anything God's power cannot take us through. 

David believed that in spite of the criticism of his men that he had to endure and not give up on the promise of God.                                                   

No one likes to receive criticism, but it will come anyway! Regardless of how well you live your life or try to conduct yourself in front of others, there will always be those around you who will find something to criticize.

Who can forget the life of Job? Here was a man that the Lord called "perfect and upright, and one that feared God and escheweth evil." Yet, when various calamities fell upon his life and Job's friends came to be with him, all they could find to do to Job was to criticize him. 

Notice what they said about this man of God: 

-You are a hypocrite-Job 5:4-5 

-You are a windbag-Job 8:2

-You're just getting what you deserve-Job 5:8-15

-You have a bad attitude!-Job 5:17

There are many more verses that could be mentioned where the friends of Job attacked and criticized this godly man. Yet, through it all, Job stuck with the Lord and never turned on God. As a result, he was restored and blessed by the Father.

David was bothered by his men’s reaction. He has suffered just as much loss as they have. His heart was broken that the people had turned on him. In their defense, they were just looking for a scapegoat. Often this is the case in criticism. The critic uses his criticism as a means of raising himself in the eyes of others.

Paul said in Romans 2:1, 2 "Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things." 

Unfair and unjust criticism always has a way of striking you right in the heart. It is painful, when you have done your best, to know that someone is observing your life to find fault. It is natural to be bothered by criticism. However, criticism should never be allowed to control your life. When the critics began their harassment of David, he responded by turning to the Lord in prayer. He knew that retaliation was not the answer, but the families of David and his men needed to be saved and he went to the Lord to ask for God's guidance. It was evident to all his critics that David was walking with God in spite of their attack!

There is a lesson here for you and me. When we are criticized and attacked, our best response is simply to carry on with business as usual! Just keep on serving God and be what the Lord has saved you to be. He will bless that attitude more than He could ever bless an attitude of bitterness and one that lashes out at its enemies.

David believed for the promise of restoration because he knew that God had spoken it to him.

Psalm 37:5 “Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.”

When David received the promise of God his whole personal outlook changed. Instead of spending time thinking about how bad things were he began to think about how good they would be when God fulfilled his promise. Our attitude is the key element of our faith. We have a tendency to let our attitudes take a nose dive when life deals us setbacks, both minor and major, on a regular basis. However, if we are going to be more than conquerors in this life we need to know how to deal with our circumstances and keep our attitudes intact! 

Stop and pray.

Sometimes circumstances surprise us and we react. Unfortunately, this often compounds the problem because by reacting we tend to operate out of our weaknesses instead of our strengths. We make decisions that are not well thought out. We function with a bad attitude that says, “I can’t believe this is happening!” The next time circumstances turn against you, take some time to just step back from the problem and pray. This will enable you to deal with the issues at hand by exercising your faith instead of your emotions. It will allow you to put your state of mind back into its proper place. It gives you the opportunity to choose your attitude as you face the circumstances at hand. 

-Don’t take your eyes off of the goal. A second step in keeping our attitude in the proper place is to make sure we keep the important things important. One of the biggest problems with trouble is that it gets your focus off of where it should be. If you find yourself getting down about your circumstances, remember what your goal is. Give some thought to how you can achieve that goal by being obedient to God and following His direction.

-Focus on solutions, not problems. Negative circumstances don’t sit idly by. They scream for our attention. When we face difficult circumstances, we tend to dwell on them. We talk about them, fret about them, and give them way too much attention. Instead of talking about problems, talk about solutions. Instead of spending your time thinking about how bad things are, think about how good they will be! 

-Get some positive input. The mind tends to build on itself, so when we begin to allow our minds to build on the hopelessness of the situation we build a spiritual wall. One thing we must do is get our thoughts back on track with positive ideas. 

-Find some good in your dilemma. One of the greatest internal powers we have is the power to control our thoughts. Spend time dwelling on the good things about your life instead of the problems. Think about the things you enjoy and give you a sense of happiness and peace. Remember as the song says, “Count your blessings name them one by one.” That is great advice! Let your positive attitude develop from within as well as from without. This makes all the difference!

-Remember that circumstances are not forever. Sometimes it seems like we are going to be facing the same situation forever. Yet in reality, this too shall pass. There will be a time in the future when your circumstances will change and you will be on the mountain instead of in the valley. 

Hebrews 11:32-34  “And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions. Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens."

He Knows The Way

1 Samuel 30:11-15  “And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he did eat; and they made him drink water; And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of raisins: and when he had eaten, his spirit came again to him: for he had eaten no bread, nor drunk any water, three days and three nights. And David said unto him, To whom belongest thou? and whence art thou? And he said, I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite; and my master left me, because three days agone I fell sick. We made an invasion upon the south of the Cherethites, and upon the coast which belongeth to Judah, and upon the south of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire. And David said to him, Canst thou bring me down to this company? And he said, Swear unto me by God, that thou wilt neither kill me, nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring thee down to this company."

David and his 400 warriors left the Brook Besor in pursuit of the invaders. David knew that God had promised him the victory over these marauders and that he would recover everything that had been stolen. In spite of the doubts prevailing in the minds of his men, David had Divine assurance things were going to be alright and held onto that fact regardless of the attitude of his men. This brings me to the facts of this passage.

David did not know the way, but he remembered the way maker.

Remember, he did not know the location of the enemy’s camp. He was going on simple blind faith and trusting in the Lord. How many times have you stepped out on nothing but faith and trusted God for an answer? How many times have answers escaped you because you had to take a different direction than you thought?

Research is wonderful and so is knowledge. Yet neither of the two can really prepare you for the unexpected paths that situations in life can take you. Just as sure as you think you have it planned out, something unexpected comes along.

Isaiah wrote these words of the Lord to another generation in Isaiah 42:16 when he said, 

"And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.”

You may not know the way, but God does. He will somehow show you which direction to go by using whatever means necessary to get your attention. If you remember who He is it makes the journey a whole easier.

John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life.” 

God has a way of putting somebody in your path that has been where you have been before.

Verses 11-15 tell us the sad story of the young Egyptian servant that had been abandoned by his Amalekite master in the wilderness because of sickness. Basically, he was left without food or water and to die. His circumstances couldn’t have been worse and had it not been for David and his warriors coming by he surely would have died.

David might not have recognized what God was teaching him at the moment, but you and I have the opportunity to look at this picture and what we see in many ways is a portrait of what David had been through.

David had felt a sense of abandonment because of his fears and frustrations in dealing with King Saul. David was sick because of the losses he had suffered at the hands of the Amalekites. David had lost his sense of purpose and direction because he settled for less than God intended for him to be. Always remember that God will not forsake you!                           

Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”

Psalm 94:14 “For the LORD will not cast off His people, nor will He forsake His inheritance.”

However, there are some things we need to forsake!

Proverbs 28:13 “He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.” 

Again, that’s the reason God puts somebody who’s been through what we’re facing at the moment to help us see the way through and out. That individual is able to give some powerful advice to help you. They can Tell you every detail of what they did and what happened to them as they faced their adversity, retrace their steps and point out small details that may give you encouragement in just the areas you need for that moment, and guide you to the right place at the right time because that is what God put them there for.God will go the second mile to help someone who will put it all on the line to help another in their time of need. That’s why we go through all the stuff we do in life-so we can help others who are facing what we have faced.

The Egyptian servant asked David to swear by God two simple things:

-That he would not take his life.

-That he would not return him to his master.

Maybe this is why the Psalmist could write in Psalm 146:5-7 “Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; who keeps truth forever, who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry. The LORD gives freedom to the prisoners.”

John records the word of Jesus in John 8:36 “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.”

His company had been toiling and negotiating on an offer for months. It had become the obsession of his office. They finally had a realistic proposal and he was sitting across from his customer. 

“Thanks, Dave,” he said, “but we’ll have to pass this year.” 

He was devastated. How could he face his employees? The loss of this million dollar deal would result in layoffs. His stomach initially tied in knots over presenting the bid, was now wrenched tighter. He simply could not understand how the client could afford to refuse their offer. He dreaded returning to the office. 

Pulling into a truck stop he ordered coffee before returning to the office. His waitress was friendly, although slightly distracted. As she poured the coffee and he nonchalantly said hello and asked how she was. He fully expected the traditional Southern response, “fine…and you?” 

“Oh, I’ve been better,” she began. “My husband abandoned me and the kids after Katrina. Left us stranded here and this is the only job I could find. It ain’t too bad mind you. The boss lets me work around my kids so they ain’t at home alone. But yesterday someone stole my purse. It had everything in it, birth certificates, shot records, social security cards, everything I had evacuated with. And every penny we had, $300.00 was in there. Now I don’t so much mind they took the money, it’s just money, but all those important papers. I need those for the kids and their schooling. I don’t even know if I can get new papers with New Orleans being in such a mess.” 

He bobbed his head with feigning interest in her conversation. He wanted to interrupt her and point out that she had only lost $300.00. He had just lost millions. Before he could reply, she turned to another table. 

Sipping the warmth, he thought about their dilemmas. Both of them had been dealt a raw deal, but self-pity made him feel that somehow his loss was greater. Proportionally though, their losses were probably equal. 

As he drank his coffee he flipped his cell phone and attempted to scan emails. No reception. Shutting it, he sank into the comfort of the red plastic padded dining booth and stared aimlessly. His daze was interpreted by the newly familiar voice. 

“They found it!” She squealed with delight. “They found my purse! All our important papers were still there. We’re gonna be alright!” 

Everyone in the truck stop applauded. 

She came to refresh his coffee; he declined the offer and congratulated her good fortune. She was gracious and told him to have a nice day as he took his ticket and headed for the cash register. 

“She’s still out $300.00,” the Holy Spirit whispered. 

“Okay,” he acknowledged. “I’ll leave a $20.00. That’s a 1000% tip.” 

“She’s still out $300.00,” came the Voice again. 

“All right,” he moaned, “I’ve got $50.00 in my wallet. I’ll leave that.” 

“She lost $300.00,” repeated the Voice. 

“Look, God,” he began. “I just lost a million dollar deal. Have a little sympathy for me!” 

“She lost $300.00,” the Voice insisted. 

“All right, all right,” he grudgingly relented. Taking out his American Express he paid for the coffee and wrote in a $300.00 tip. Walking through the parking lot to his car, he tried his cell phone again, still no tower. He got in his car and headed for the office trying to think of a diplomatic way to break the bad news 

Opening the door to his office, his secretary practically leapt from her desk to greet him. 

“Mr. Smith,” she bubbled, “You’ll never guess who just called!” 

“Do I have to?” he asked. 

“Oh no sir, I was just so excited I couldn’t help myself” she beamed. “Mr. Jones called right after you left. He tried getting you on your cell, but he said he couldn’t reach you. Must have been in a dead zone, right sir?” 

She inhaled and continued at lightening speed, “Anyway he said he went over the figures you gave him with his sales and production staff after your meeting. They decided to double the order. Can you believe it! Doubled the order! Our price was just too good to pass. They have faxed over the signed contracts! Isn’t that fantastic? The contracts are on your desk.” 

Stunned, he looked at his secretary in utter disbelief, “He said what?” 

She slowly repeated the telephone conversation. He could not believe it. He walked into the office to examine the faxed contracts for himself. He noted the time on the fax and the American Express receipt. They were the same.

Proverbs 18:24 “A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” 

Psalm 9:9, 10 “The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; for You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.”   

Psalm 37:39 “But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; He is their strength in the time of trouble.”

When You Are Weary

1 Samuel 30:9, 10 “So David went, he and the six hundred men who were with him, and came to the Brook Besor, where those stayed who were left behind. But David pursued, he and four hundred men; for two hundred stayed behind, who were so weary that they could not cross the Brook Besor.”

David's six hundred men were not prepared to hunt down the Amalekite marauders. They had just returned from the  long march back from the Philistine military front and were fatigued and demoralized by the ransacking of Ziklag. Their weariness began to grow on them and they once again begin to doubt David's plan and leadership. David led them on a forced march south. Pushing hard for fifteen miles, they reached the Brook Besor. Two hundred men, a third of David's company, at that point were exhausted and unable to continue. They said, in effect, "We can't go another step. We don't have the strength and we don't have the spirit. We've had it." And so they were left at the Brook Besor. 

One presumes these men, though weary and fatigued, stay behind because of that issue alone. One also presumes God allowed this because He wanted some to stay behind to make sure that Ziklag was not invaded again by marauders. However, the brook Besor was about 15 miles from Ziklag. Add to it the fact that there was not much of the city left to guard and you begin to see the real purpose that God had in allowing these 200 men to stay behind. Yes, they were close enough and skilled enough to be in the general area of the city and could have returned if necessary to do their best, but that was not what God had planned.

God allowed these 200 men to stay behind to teach us some very important things about being weary in general. What does God want us to see?

(1) Everybody gets weary in and of life. 

Paul, on two separate occasions, writes about the fatigue factor in serving the Lord.

He writes to the church in Galatians 6:9 and says, “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”

Paul acknowledges that we as individuals can grow tired in doing good all the time because we see many of our efforts go unfulfilled. Yet he encourages you and I to hold on and not give up.


He also writes to the brethren in 2 Thessalonians 3:13 and says, “But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good.”

Many times we get exhausted because we try and cover for everyone. Paul makes it very plain that this is a group thing as well as an individual responsibility. I can only do what I am supposed to do and should not have to do what God requires of others who individually will have to give account for themselves on the great Day of Judgment.

The Bible says these men were so weary that they could not take another step further. Even though they wanted to revenge their loss and retrieve what was stolen from them, they did not have the strength to continue on because of fatigue.

The writer of Hebrews 12:3 says, “For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.”

Jesus Himself often grew weary because of the hostility toward him by unbelievers, but dealt with the weariness as best he could and gave us an example to follow. 

(2) Weariness often leads to low morale.

Psalm 6:1-3 “O LORD, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure. Have mercy upon me, O LORD; for I am weak: O LORD, heal me; for my bones are vexed. My soul is also sore vexed: but thou, O LORD, how long?”

They had marched the long journey from the Philistine camp only to find that everything they had held dear to their hearts had been stripped away. They had expected to come home to the warmth of their fires, the love of their family, and a time of rest from their daily fatigue, only to find their dreams and hopes squashed because of an attack by the enemy. It is easy to become depressed when things begin to pile up around you that are negative and filled with pain, but especially when you are weary in your body, spirit, and soul. Without the proper rest your morale can be lower than you ever expected it to be because molehills will seem like mountains and pebbles like boulders in your path.

(3) Weariness and fatigue can also lead to a lack of trust or confidence in leadership or authority.

Psalm 6:6 “I am weary with my groaning; all night I make my bed swim; I drench my couch with my tears.”

Psalm 69:3, 4 “I am weary with my crying; my throat is dry; my eyes fail while I wait for my God. Those who hate me without a cause Are more than the hairs of my head; They are mighty who would destroy me, Being my enemies wrongfully; Though I have stolen nothing, I still must restore it."

These men had begun to question David’s judgment and decision making because they had followed him blindly and saw what it got them. When you get weary everything comes into question in your life. You begin to be deluged by things that you never have questioned before because of the fatigue factor that creates impossible scenarios within your mind.

(4) There is only one way to deal with weariness-and that is to rest.

Psalm 16:9 KJV “Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.”

Psalm 37:7 KJV “Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.”

Psalm 94:12-14 KJV “Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O LORD, and teachest him out of thy law; That thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit be digged for the wicked. For the LORD will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance.”

Psalm 116:6-8 KJV “The LORD preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me. Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee. For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.”